When it comes to catering, it’s fair to associate lots of emails, paperwork and at least a few phone calls back and forth just to organise simple drinks and nibbles for your upcoming event. The task of contacting multiple catering companies and comparing quotes, plus organising invoices can be overwhelming for event organisers.

Realising that this was a common problem for event organisers, Olexiy Meshechko and Mizuki Azai founded Caterway – a marketplace that connects local catering companies with corporate customers. It provides clarity, convenience and reassurance for both parties through minimising admin and paperwork, thus creating a more streamlined ordering process. The idea is by standardising the ordering process, this platform can encourage consumers to try new dishes.

Homepage of Caterway (https://caterway.nz/)

Catering supplied via Caterway

Caterway was initially developed for corporate businesses who were looking for an elevated catering service experience. However, the website can be great for anyone looking to get food for birthdays, ceremonies and/or celebrations.

The co-founders’ vision is to become the number one, go-to place for catering services in NZ and APAC.

Meet the Caterway team

Mizuki Azai (left) and Olexiy Meshechko (right), co-founders of Caterway

Why did you decide to embark on your startup journey?
It was a daily struggle for me to find a variety of catering options for my team and guests based on their requests and preferences, and lacked a platform that allowed me and other colleagues to manage catering orders collaboratively. By contrast, Olexiy had no idea where to start and he was one of the many people who assumed a catering platform like Caterway already existed.

What is the most enjoyable part of your startup journey so far? Why?
It is rewarding to hear from individual customers as well as large corporates how Caterway benefits and helps them to manage catering.

What is the most challenging part of your startup journey so far? Why?
As a startup founder, it can be overwhelming to juggle lots of tasks and wear multiple hats especially in the beginning of the journey. It’s so great to have support from Ministry of Awesome/Te Ōhaka, they can provide valuable advice when you need and connect with the right people.

What are your biggest lessons you have learned in your startup journey so far?
When you run a startup you learn something new every single day. For us the biggest lesson we have learned is the importance of understanding and applying data for making decisions.

What would you have done differently if you are given the chance to start over your startup journey?
We know a lot of things that we have done are not in the best or the ideal ways, however, we have been doing our best. If we would have done differently we wouldn’t have learned what we’ve learned from our mistakes or we wouldn’t have met people who support us now.

Wilbur Morris and Edward Eaton knew for a fact that New Zealand produces a range of native honeys that were worthy of recognition, including (but not limited to) Kamahi, Honey-Dew, Pōhutukawa and Rewarewa. But these 2 young talents believe that Manuka honey has had the limelight for a while, and thought it was about time Manuka moved over and shared the stage. 

So in June 2020, the Buzz Club was established. 

The co-founders, Morris and Eaton, have just launched their first product – the light and refreshing Session Mead which is brewed from Native Kamahi Honey – one of the best honey the globe has to offer. 

Session Mead is a type of alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, and sometimes with various fruits, spices or grains. The Buzz Club’s Session Mead combines Native Kamahi Honey with Hawke’s Bay Lemon which gives it a natural fruity and floral flavour. A light honey note with the fresh citrus twist makes Buzz Club the perfect afternoon, summer drink. 

Located right here in Christchurch, Buzz Club is naturally gluten free and has below 1.1g sugar per 100ml, with 5.5% Alc/Vol, in every 330ml can. That’s a buzz!

The Buzz Club is currently targeting the alternative and inquisitive side of the 23-35 year olds who are generally socially and ethically aware. When they are not tied down at work, their weekends tend to be spent attending concerts/festivals, and on occasion, escaping the city to reconnect with native NZ.

As well as being health conscious, these individuals already have interest in alternative alcohols which make the low-sugar Session Mead perfect for their weekend hangouts.

The Buzz Club aims to show New Zealand, and the rest of the world, that all our country’s native honey is capable of becoming awesome products. By growing awareness and recognition for the potential apiculture diversity, Buzz Club hopes to encourage more innovative uses of NZ’s native honey. Thus, creating a sustainable industry.

Now that’s the buzz.

Introducing Wilbur Morrison

Edward Eaton (left) and Wilbur Morris (right), co-founders of Buzz Club.

Why did you decide to embark on your startup journey?

Together, we saw today’s climate as the perfect time to launch the revitalisation of mead in NZ following trends of rising demand of alternate alcohols coinciding with the pressing need to sustain the apiculture industry. 

As well we both grew a passion for brewing mead and the awesome product it is. The challenges the startup journey has put us under, although at times frustrating has made us want to carry on with the start up journey.

What is the most enjoyable part of your startup journey so far? 

Being able to see our hard work pay off and the product on shelves. The journey hasn’t been plain sailing but the reward of having something we created on shelves is one of the most rewarding things. 

What is the most challenging part of your startup journey so far? 

One of the most challenging parts for us has been problems arising that we did not know would. This has meant we have been adaptable to new obstacles and not afraid to bend how we work to get around these issues (remaining open minded).

As well we have always had ambitious goals, however we have had a shoestring budget. So coming up with innovative ways to achieve our goals with low cost has been interesting to say the least.

What are your biggest lessons you have learned in your startup journey so far?

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt. To be adaptable in a startup is key. With all the planning in the world there will always be problems that were not planned for. A lot of the time these adaptations are risky, however we must adapt to achieve our start up goals. 

What would you have done differently if you are given the chance to start over your startup journey?

Not stickered cans! Keeping investment cost low is awesome but it decreases the start ups ability to have economy of scale so increases price per unit. So a bit more money up front bootstrapping would have resulted in higher returns in the first brew.

Founded by Scott Pearson and Heather Pearson, Calm Pipe helps people quit smoking by providing vape-free, smoke-free and nicotine-free pipes. Starting out with a team of just two, the idea for this wellness startup was first established in 2019, starting with Ōtautahi Christchurch as the testing market. Through innovative pipe technologies that encourage deep breathing and mindfulness, the co-founders aim to not just change their customers’ bad habits but also reduce smoking addiction on a societal level.

Calm Pipe’s early adopters are social smokers who want to quit and are looking for a healthy alternative. Most people who relapse find themselves doing so as a result of stress, and depression in their lives. Calm pipes help calm their minds through deep and slower breathing, hence support them through moments when they’re most vulnerable to relapses.

Introducing Heather Pearson

Why did you decide to embark on your startup journey?
Calm Pipe has an interesting backstory. Years ago, Scott and I spent a year in Colorado and found ourselves on the edge of the Hayman Forest Fires. To help threatened homes, we cleared scrub and vegetation but we’re getting dust and smoke in our lungs. We wondered … is this what smokers and the people around them face on a daily basis? At this moment, we started to discuss a design for a device that would mimic the hand to mouth habit without all of the other stuff that goes along with smoking.

What is the most enjoyable part of your startup journey so far?
Listening to our customers and hearing the success stories has been absolutely brilliant. We know Calm Pipe isn’t the solution for everyone but it gives people another option. The success stories feed our motivation. We’re a pretty awesome team with loads of future plans and products in the pipeline… no pun intended 🙂

What is the most challenging part of your startup journey so far? Why?
The most challenging thing so far would have to be time and budget. I think most startups would have similar challenges. It takes a lot of time to line everything up and with a small budget you find yourself doing most of the work yourself, we’re constantly needing to upskill. We’re pretty lucky being in the Te Ōhaka Startup Incubation Programme and having access to some pretty awesome experts

What are your biggest lessons you have learned in your start up journey so far?
One of our biggest lessons so far in our startup journey is quick and efficient decision making. A small decision at the start could have a big impact in our future outcomes. We found it helpful to always bring our decisions back to our company values. What is our purpose and where are we heading?

What would you have done differently if you are given the chance to start over your startup journey?
Our first product is in the shape of an old school pipe, but at the same time, it directs fresh air into the lungs. It’s a really healthy alternative. Unfortunately, we’re currently not allowed to advertise due to the shape or form factor. It’s always important to consider any barriers to market when you’re designing a product. The good news is that we’re heading into our next design sprint to add to our collection of products. Stay tuned!

We were honoured to host the Australian High Commissioner, The Honourable Patricia Forsythe at Te Ōhaka – Centre for Growth and Innovation.

Hon. Patricia Forsythe had the opportunity to hear from Partly and Pyper Vision – two startups who are meaningfully engaged with Australia through investment or activity – as well as to meet with the Te Ōhaka community all of whom are keen to drive their ventures beyond NZ borders. 

It was clear throughout the engagement that Australia is a very attractive market for many New Zealand startups. With strong similarity in language and culture, it’s the perfect entry point to the global market for many startups, especially ones that plan to expand further into the US and Europe market. Whilst a few startups in the Te Ōhaka Incubation Programme such as Komodo Wellbeing, Pyper Vision, and Blerb are already in the Australian market, we believe that there are more opportunities to facilitate more connections with investors, partners and customers in Australia. 

Ministry of Awesome Chair, Lloyd Mander, was on hand to discuss the opportunity of greater collaboration and connectivity by establishing mutual beachheads for startups in both markets.   

We are grateful to have had a fruitful engagement with The Honourable Patricia Forsythe, and hope that this is the starting point of many more meaningful connections and partnerships with the Australia startup community.

Founded in 2020 by Peter Russell, the recently launched Te Ohaka startup Reterniti sets out to bring innovation to the Funeral Services industry. It solves what to do with pet or peoples ashes (or cremains).

“We all want to be remembered; we do not want to be forgotten. We would prefer to be somewhere meaningful to us, where our descendants can get a sense of what was important to us. And, this in fact may be several places. This is precisely what Reterniti takes care of”, says Peter. 

Presently, families are given a box, bag or an urn of remains. Individuals are left to their own devices. In most cases, the ‘what’s next’ is uncertain, confusing and unpleasant. The majority of us will opt for cremation; this is where the typical industry will stop if you do not opt for a memorial garden. 

Reterniti’s plan is to develop an entire business ecosystem. It starts with the Reterniti stone; a user friendly, transportable and retainable format of ashes. The company also wants to enable geotagging of scattered or final resting locations, such that a globally linked map and digital profile of ancestors can be developed. Additionally, Reterniti can produce multiple stones for individuals to distribute, place and track global and/or local places that may have been meaningful to one’s person or family.

The target audience is everyone. It is a solution for a burgeoning global population. The intention is to innovate and become established in New Zealand first, starting within the Pet space, then rapidly expand globally.

Introducing Peter Russell

Why did you decide to embark on your startup journey?

Simple – I was tired of making other people wealthy!

What is the most enjoyable part of your startup journey?

Doing things MY way! No endless corporate meetings or committees; no dumbing down of concepts. It is pure unfettered product development.

What is the most challenging part of your startup journey so far? Why?

Actually finding co-founders & partners! That is the single most difficult aspect so far. Most times a great concept is the product of one person; finding like minded, talented people who happen to be free work-wise or at a similar life stage is extremely challenging.

What are your biggest lessons you have learned in your startup journey so far?

It can be a lonely and expensive journey. Many times you can be tempted back into the corporate world – both for the human interaction and for one’s financial wellbeing. It’s a balancing act and it constantly tests your resolve.

What would you have done differently if you are given the chance to start over your startup journey?

Nothing. I’ve been involved with a successful start up in Sydney Australia; I’m finding the Christchurch experience, particularly with MOA / Te Ohaka much more nurturing and receptive.

This year for the first time Ara Institute of Canterbury is offering learners the opportunity to enrol in courses designed to develop their own business and innovation ideas.  The two courses – ‘Business Accelerator’ and ‘Innovation Accelerator’ – are both short 12-week courses that can be undertaken on their own or credited towards degree or graduate diplomas. These two new courses are designed and facilitated by Ministry of Awesome who partners with Ara and ChristchurchNZ to deliver Te Ōhaka – Christchurch’s city centre startup hub.

As self-employment options grow and the drive to improve upon technology continues, people studying traditional tertiary subjects or vocational education can benefit greatly from familiarity with the art and science of entrepreneurship. ‘Entrepreneurship training’ has been identified by recent studies as an effective way to encourage the formation of new enterprises and to provide students with increased motivation to start their own businesses.

Naturally, the side-effect of this enhanced motivation is to create greater numbers of start-ups – an outcome that offers significant benefits to the host economy. This suggests that tertiary education providers should prioritise the incorporation of entrepreneurship and innovation training within their curriculum, wherever possible.   

Both of the new Ara courses will be taught by Jacob Varghese, Head of Innovation of Ministry of Awesome, who manages the accelerator and corporate innovation programmes within Te Ōhaka.

The new ‘Business Accelerator’ is designed to give students the skills and insights that will enable them to validate and commercialise their own business ideas, using proven industry frameworks. Designed to be a hands-on course, participants will focus on one of their existing business ideas or gain group input towards identifying one, then undertake customer engagement and validation processes to test the viability of their idea and its commercialisation potential.

The ‘Innovation Accelerator’ is focused upon teaching students how to spot and engage with innovation opportunities within an existing organisation or industry. Students will learn how to analyse organisational processes and identify potentially transformational opportunities, and then go on to develop a business case for developing them. The course also covers the profiles of the various groups in New Zealand that work to support national innovation.

Jacob Varghese says “The Business Accelerator is quite different from the other short courses on offer on Small Business or Entrepreneurship. It’s focused on helping participants to go through the fundamental steps towards launching their business. The course has academic rigour but is very application-oriented. It is based on globally-accepted startup methodologies but also draws heavily from our experience of supporting multiple startups during their product development, launch and capital-raising phases. Innovation Accelerator focuses on intra-preneurship and aims to prepares a professional to help their organisation identify and seize new opportunities.”

Find out more information about the Business Accelerator and Innovation Accelerator course.

New World and Ministry of Awesome have started the search for New Zealand’s food and beverage product superstars, this year with an additional category for small suppliers and a supersized prize package which includes the priceless opportunity for the winners to range their products in every single New World throughout New Zealand.

Returning for its third year, the arrival of COVID-19 sparked the expansion of FoodStarter to a national competition.    Ministry of Awesome chief executive, Marian Johnson, says “it’s been a very tough year for food and beverage start-ups and small suppliers alike, the lockdowns made it challenging to trade for some, and for others, it’s been hard to focus on growing their business.  When we were planning FoodStarter 2021, all the partners wanted to take positive action, giving more members of the awesome food and beverage producer community the opportunity of a much-needed boost after such a challenging year.”

 

The result was an exciting plan to rapidly expand the FoodStarter competition, adding a brand new category to encompass New World’s existing small suppliers who are currently locally ranged and looking to grow, plus supersizing the prize to include ranging at New World nationwide.

Supporting the scale up to a national competition, FoodStarter is welcoming two new partners, Foodstuffs North Island and Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) adding their weight to founders Foodstuffs South Island and Ministry of Awesome and existing partners New Zealand Food Innovation Network with two of their hubs: Food South in Christchurch and The FoodBowl in Auckland, economic development agency ChristchurchNZ, and advertising agency, Strategy Creative.

The decision to scale up FoodStarter was an easy decision says Steve Anderson, Managing Director Foodstuffs New Zealand. “One of our four social promises is supporting communities to thrive and grow.  Taking FoodStarter to this next level will support the creation of new jobs and enable the growth of some very exciting food and beverage businesses.  It’s fantastic to be behind such an exciting initiative, the sky really is the limit and we can’t wait to see the entries start to flood in.”

Last year’s FoodStarter winner Ananda Vegan Goodness are about to feel the full effect of winning the competition with their Italian style Vegan Sausage hitting New World South Island shelves this week.  Co-owner Fernando Gutierrez says, “winning FoodStarter has been absolutely incredible. The support and direction from all the partners has helped me realise my dream of taking my product from farmers market to the supermarket shelf, something I’d always dreamed of achieving.  If you’re thinking of entering you need to know that – even with the support of the FoodStarter team  – it’s a lot of hard work and you can expect to meet plenty of challenges along the way, but it’s absolutely worth it. There’s nothing like seeing your product on the shelf at New World!”

 

 

Entries for FoodStarter are now open, go to foodstarter.co.nz and complete the simple application form.

FoodStarter categories are:

• Food & Beverage Startup – for businesses who aren’t currently ranged with New World

• Small Suppliers With New World – for businesses who are ranged with New World

Entries close on 7 February 2021, shortlisted candidates will be advised in March 2021.

For more information and to meet all the partners involved in FoodStarter go to foodstarter.co.nz

Winners of the inaugural HealthTech Supernode Challenge – a national innovation challenge powered by ChristchurchNZ, Kiwinet, and Ryman Healthcare – were announced at the Awards Ceremony in Christchurch last night. 

After an electrifying and inspiring series of pitches, Richard McCulloch from NextStep was crowned as the Best Startup Team and the Overall Winner of the Challenge! As overall winner, Richard received a cash prize of $10,000 as well as the potential of a validation contract with Canterbury District Health Board, and pre-commercialisation funding from WNT Ventures.

Category winners were:

• Lui Holder-Pearson from Accessible Insulin Pump won the Best Solution from a Student Team category and a $5,000 cash prize;
• Dr. Deborah Munro, D.Eng. from Diagnostic Implantable Sensor System For Spinal Fusion won the Best Solution from a Large Enterprise Team category as well as a $5,000 cash prize;
• Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee from BiSSkApp won the Best Solution from a Canterbury Team category as well as a $10,000 cash prize; 
• Richard Shepherd and his team from HT Systems Kera Transfer Aid won the Best Aged Care Solution category as well as a $5,000 prize.

The aim of the Challenge was to identify and generate commercially viable innovations that could address real healthcare problems particularly in the aged care and rural care sectors. 22 finalists were chosen from 128 applicants and put through their paces during an intensive 6-week pre-accelerator programme that included support from local and national mentors, guest speakers, coaches, and judges. The Challenge has brought the entire NZ innovation community together to support innovators in the all-important healthtech sector.   

At Thursday’s Demo Evening event which took place at Manawa in the heart of Christchurch’s Health Innovation Precinct, the top eight finalists pitched their innovations to a VIP judging panel. 

Joanna Norris, Chief Executive of ChristchurchNZ and Challenge judge says, ‘With an aging population and uncertainty surrounding the COVID pandemic requiring us to constantly adapt, healthcare will continue to demand innovative solutions – and Canterbury will be first in line to offer them. The challenge has showcased the region’s spirit of innovation and collaboration in our flourishing healthtech sector, while demonstrating the level of talent and creative thinking across New Zealand. 

‘’These start-ups are growing the jobs of the future. Congratulations to Next Step™– we are excited to see what you do next from your base here in Aotearoa.’’

Fellow judges, Microbiologist and media commentator Dr. Siouxsie Wiles and Ministry of Health Chief Science Advisor Ian Town were impressed by the healthtech innovation presented during the evening. 

Alexandra Stuthridge, Challenge judge and Commercialisation Manager at KiwiNet says, “Our nation needs more successful science and tech start-ups led by inspired entrepreneurs, working to solve some of New Zealand’s – and the world’s – biggest problems. And that’s exactly what the Finalists in the HealthTech Challenge are doing. We have been so impressed and inspired by their passion, determination and dedication to making a difference. This Challenge has brought an incredible amount of talent to the fore, in an incredibly important sector. I congratulate our Finalists and Winners on helping to create a better, brighter, and more resilient world for us all.” 

Rick Davies says “We are really looking forward to exploring opportunities to work alongside the fantastic aged care winners, and potentially many other talented applicants that have participated in this competition. It’s been a huge effort by all involved. They’ve proven to us what tremendous potential there is to harness technology to improve the lives of older people, and it has been an absolute privilege to support their work.‘’

All of the finalists who took part in the Challenge were able to gain valuable guidance and support from the innovation community, broaden their networks, and increase their profile through the Challenge’s pre-accelerator programme.

“It’s an absolute honour to be crowned the overall winner of the HealthTech Supernode Challenge tonight, the whole journey has just been phenomenal, especially with the tremendous support from Ministry of Awesome and UC Centre for Entrepreneurship. The next step for us is to partner with a manufacturing partner with a global reach or raise investment so we can complete the development and compliance with regulatory requirements. Newborns are our most vulnerable and we believe we have got a great product to tackle this massive global problem”. 

Delivered by the Ministry of Awesome and the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Entrepreneurship with support from ChristchurchNZ, KiwiNet and Ryman Healthcare, the HealthTech Supernode Challenge aims to position Christchurch as New Zealand’s centre of health innovation by attracting and growing talent, business and innovation.